Fence



UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

ISRAEL L. LANDIS, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,706, dated March 20, 1888.

Application filed November 21, 1887. Serial No. 255,744. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL L. LANDIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fences having up right pickets attached to horizontal rails, bars, or rods extending from post to post.

The objects of said invention are to provide for holding such pickets firmlyin their proper positions; to insure the secure fastening of each picket independently, so that the separation of one from the rails or bars will not affect the others, and to allow said rails or bars to be conveniently detached from the posts or attached thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation of one side ot'a fence embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the other side of said fence, showing a modified form of fastening for the upper rail. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the fence as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4. representsa vertical transverse section through the same on the line a x of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Fig. 5 represents a detail view of one of the supporting-plates for the horizontal rails or rods. Fig. 6 represents a similar view of one of the staples which hold the pickets to the rails or bars. Fig. 7 represents the tool used in fastening.

A designates the posts of the fence; B, the pickets; U, the horizontal rods or bars of metal whichare attached to said posts. These bars or rods are preferably made in sections, each section being between two posts and detachable therefrom. This detachability may be effected in divers ways, two of which areillustrated in the drawings. Thus the upper bar shown in Fig. 2 is recessed on its under side at the ends to receive the ends of short rods 0, which pass through the posts A and are fixed therein. The rods O 0 may be bound together by a wire, 0, or similar fastening, or a pin, 0 may be obliquely driven into the post above rod 0 to hold its end down on rod or pin 0. One of these fastenings is shown at one end of the upper rod 0 and the other at the other end thereof. The lower rod 0 is made tubular at one end to receive the corresponding rod or pin a, while the other end of said rod or barO rests in a U shaped bearing, (l,formed on the face of a plate or bracket, D, attached to the other post. A split pin or bolt, d, passes through the open upper ends of the wall of said bearing, holding the rod or bar 0 firmly therein. There is no pin 0 at this end of said bar. By withdrawing this pin or bolt the rod or bar 0 is left free to be withdrawn. \Vhen the other fastenings are employed instead, the same result is effected by unwrapping the wire or withdrawing the pin obliquely driven into the post, as the case may be.

The pickets B are held to the barsO by fastenings E. These are at first pointed nails, which are driven through the pickets. As each nail passes through a picket above one of the rails or bars 0, it is bent around said bar and forced to re-enter the picket below said bar, thus securely holding the picket thereto. This is most conveniently effected by a tool, F, such as is shown in Fig. 6, having a curved face, f, between jaws or horns f f at its end. The tool being applied so that this facefwill at once guide and drive the point of the nail, the said tool is hammered on until the work is complete. The nail when thus driven back into the picket becomes in effect a staple. Each one of these staples holds its picket securely to the bar; but if it be detached no other picket will be loosened. These staples are prevented from slipping on the bars by means of continuous wires or metallic bands. One of the wires marked G is shown in the drawings as passing in small loops or eyes 9 around each one of the upper row of staples between the head thereof and the picket. One of the metallic bands marked H is shown as taking its place with the lower range of staples, the latter being driven through it. Of course either of these devices G or H may be substituted for the other, and it will ordinarily be preferable to use one of them only on a single line of fence, for the sake of a neat appearance. The other fastenings herein described may of course be similarly substituted, the one for the other, a Single form of rail-fastening being preferred in a single lineof fencing. It is not absolutely necessary 5 that the rails, rods, or bars 0 should be detachable, the other parts of the invention being operative without this detachability. So

long as the staples are prevented from slipping on the rods the pickets must hold their proper :0 positions. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A series of upright pickets and the posts and horizontal bars which support them, in combination with fastenings which pass through said pickets and inclose said bars, and continuous metallic connections independent of said bars, which are separately attached to the individual picket-fastenings to keep said fastenings in their proper places, substantially as set forth.

2. A series of upright pickets, in combination with the horizontal bars on one side of said pickets, continuous metallic connections on the other side of said pickets, and staples which pass through said pickets, inclose said bars, and are heldindividually in place by said connections, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a bar or rod, 0, tu bular at one or both ends, a pair of fenceposts, a pin passing through one of the posts and entering the tubular bar, and a bracket or plate attached to the other post, with an open bearing in which the other end of said rod or bar rests, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

ISRAEL L. LANDIS.

WVitnesses:

LEUEN R. Bolus, H. R. MoCoNoMY. 

